Zantac recalled, in effect
Zantac was not recalled, technically, in that the FDA did not require it to be removed entirely from the market. In Zantac’s case, the agency merely requested that all retailers stop selling Zantac, along with other ranitidine products. Therefore, Zantac could, essentially, be considered recalled, because one can no longer find it on the shelves.
To replace Zantac, Sanofi brought out a substitute last year. The new product is called Zantac 360. It uses ranitidine instead of famotidine, a common ingredient in many heartburn meds.
Zantac Dangers
Recent research suggests Zantac can morph into something more dangerous under various conditions. Eating particular foods, for example, or storing ranitidine for a long time at high temperatures can increase the ill effects of its cancer-causing agent. Studies have shown Zantac can break down into a cancer-causing agent.
Two things occurred after the FDA began to indicate there were safety concerns regarding Zantac in 2019. First, Zantac and its generic versions virtually disappeared from the market. Second, plaintiffs’ attorneys began to file lawsuits for people who alleged that Zantac injured them.
Thousands of Zantac lawsuits have now been filed in both state and federal courts.
Zantac Product Liability Claims
Zantac cases moving through the court system today are primarily product liability claims. In these legal actions, plaintiffs will try to prove that Zantac and ranitidine makers created a dangerous drug and knew it. Plaintiffs claim that even though Sanofi knew it had made a drug that would harm many people, the company neither labeled it properly nor warned consumers about the drug’s potential harms.
Plaintiffs able to prove their cases in this legal action may be able to recover monetary damages. Any compensation would be based on the specific injury (or injuries) that each person may have suffered.
Zantac Makers named in Lawsuits
As of August 5, 2022, plaintiffs have filed several lawsuits in state courts against the makers and sellers of Zantac. Plaintiffs have also filed more than 2,000 cases in federal, multi-district litigation (MDL) court. The first federal court trial is tentatively scheduled to begin in October 2022, while the state court cases may start sooner.
Federal MDL courts differ from those used in class action lawsuits. MDL court cases are tried separately on the merits of each individual claim, while class action lawsuit claims typically mean that all the members of the class have similar injuries and suffered similar damages. In the MDL, outcomes are dissimilar, but they can be filed in aggregate form for the sake of efficiency, to cut down on duplication of time and expenses for plaintiffs and defendants alike.
Zantac MDL in Florida
The cases are all being combined in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, where Chief Justice K. Michael Moore presides.
Zantac Lawsuits’ Status
The Zantac lawsuit case is now in the discovery phase. During discovery, each side can gather information from the other side.
Is Sanofi deleting Emails?
Plaintiffs’ attorneys in the MDL suspect that one defendant, Sanofi, a U.S. Zantac distributor, may be violating discovery rules by deleting emails. Sanofi denies it is deleting emails. The company has asked Judge Moore to let it join a deposition in an Illinois state case over the same issues. A Sanofi employee in that claim is being deposed about company emails.
The judge granted that request and said plaintiffs will be able to join the deposition for an hour.
Judge Moore has also stated that no cancer-specific claims have been dismissed from the Zantac lawsuit. He is allowing plaintiffs with any type of diagnosed cancer to remain in the suit.
Qualifications for a Zantac Lawsuit
Qualifications for a Zantac lawsuit include:
- Zantac use at least once a week for a year before a cancer diagnosis
- Cancer diagnosis within 20 years of the last Zantac use
- Cancer diagnosis before age 90
- Prescription evidence via medical records, or receipts for OTC purchases
- Zantac brand-name use only; no case for generic use
Which Cancers Are Named in the Zantac Lawsuit?
The lawsuit specifically names:
- Stomach cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Bladder cancer
- liver and pancreatic cancers
- Other cancers can still be included
RELATED
- Zantac Cancer Lawsuit
- Zantac Lawsuit Update – March 2022
- Zantac Maker accused of destroying recall emails
by Matthews & Associates
